Splitting the season: a review of FC Dallas' 2018 campaign

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FC Dallas midfielder Mauro Diaz (10) collects himself after a being down with minor injury during the first half as FC Dallas hosted Vancouver Whitecaps at Toyota Stadium in Frisco on Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Stewart F. House/Special Contributor)

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Tyler Kern Contact Tyler Kernon Twitter:

The following guest commentary was written by Tyler Kern, the radio play by play voice of FC Dallas and co-host of the ESPNSoccer Today radio show/podcast.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” - Semisonic

When the whistle blew to end the 2018 season for FC Dallas it simultaneously kicked off what promises to be an intense period of reflection. What went wrong for this team that led the Western Conference by a comfortable four-point margin just three weeks ago? I asked myself that question from high up in the radio booth while the aforementioned lyrics to Semisonic’s Closing Time wafted through the damp air of Toyota Stadium. This is my best attempt at finding some answers.

Mauro Diaz

A quick glance at the results before and after Mauro’s departure and it’s clear that FC Dallas never overcame the loss of their little unicorn in the midfield. While I wasn’t cheering the departure of the diminutive Argentine, I was among those who thought the team could adapt and evolve without him. I’m ready to admit I was wrong. Here’s the evidence:

With Diaz on the roster:

Record: 8-1-5

24 goals scored (1.7/game)

Held scoreless 0 times

Without Diaz (MLS regular season):

Record: 8-8-4

28 goals scored (1.4/game)

Held scoreless 6 times

The results are even more pronounced in games that Mauro started:

Record: 5-0-4

18 goals scored (2/game)

Held scoreless 0 times

For comparison’s sake, only one team in MLS averaged 2 goals per game and that was Atlanta (2.06/game). It’s obviously unrealistic to extrapolate a nine-game sample of Mauro Diaz starts across a 34 game season, but it at least goes to show that when Mauro was healthy and engaged (which wasn’t always the case) the FC Dallas attack was in a good place.

When Diaz left, FC Dallas lost their only player who could be counted on to consistently take a game over and make a difference. Think of the 2016 U.S. Open Cup Final vs New England. Think of his three-assist game versus the LA Galaxy on May 12, 2018.

I don’t think this means the club made a mistake by accommodating Diaz’s request to leave. At the very least, Mauro appeared to be moody even in the best of times. Forcing him to stick around could’ve caused an irreparable fracture in the locker room and erode trust in the organization. The club could probably prevent this from happening again by instituting a policy that says they won’t sell players during the season.

Inflated expectations

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 11: Kellyn Acosta #23 of Unites States celebrates a goal during an International Friendly against the Colombia at Raymond James Stadium on October 11, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Let’s all go back in time to March 3, 2018. It’s the day before the 2018 season kicks off. A stranger walks up to you on the street and proposes this scenario: FC Dallas is entering the season having replaced three-quarters of their back line, Mauro Diaz, Kellyn Acosta, and Anton Nedyalkov are going to depart mid-season, and the team’s co-leading scorers will only bag 8 goals. Despite all of those factors, FC Dallas will still finish fourth and host a home playoff game.

Would you have taken that result back then? I would have. The problem is that for seven months of the season FC Dallas made each obstacle look non-existent. Kellyn Acosta misses the first two months of the season? No big deal. Jacori Hayes is going to step in and play like a seasoned vet. Mauro Diaz sets sail for the middle east? We’ll just plug Maxi Urruti into the playmaker role and he’ll rack up double-digit assists.

It all looked so good...until suddenly it didn’t. We, myself included, became so accustomed to seeing FC Dallas at the top of the Western Conference table that we convinced ourselves they belonged there despite their obvious warts. It wasn’t until the end of the season that those flaws reared their ugly head. If we’re honest with ourselves, this team punched well above its weight for seven of the eight months of a long season. In doing so, they raised the expectations to heights that were simply unattainable for this group.

Not enough good players

Brandon Wade/AP

FC Dallas head coach Oscar Pareja looks on from the sidelines during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Columbus Crew, Saturday, Sept. 15, 2018, in Frisco, Texas. The game ended 0-0. (AP Photo/Brandon Wade)

Oscar Pareja and the coaching staff spent a portion of the time between the Colorado and Portland games reminding the team and the media that there was a reason they were hosting a home playoff game. The standings showed they were a better team over the course of the season than the Timbers. But when you begin to compare the players and add up the difference makers on each team, I don’t believe FC Dallas comes out on top.

Portland’s front line boasts a former MLS MVP in Diego Valeri (10 goals & 12 assists) and Sebastian Blanco (10 goals & 11 assists), both of whom are better players than anyone FC Dallas has in their attacking arsenal. This isn’t meant to disparage the players that Dallas has on their roster. I think Maxi Urruti and Michael Barrios can be nice players for a good team in MLS. I just don’t think they can be asked to be the two best attacking players for a team that wants to contend for MLS Cup.

We could go position by position and try to parse out where FC Dallas has a talent advantage over Portland but that’s not really the point. The point is that the only players on this team have a reasonable claim at being in the top five or ten in the league at their position are along the back line.

You’ll notice I didn’t have a specific criticism aimed at Oscar Pareja but that’s not because I hold him blameless. I think he could’ve handled Pablo Aranguiz better and I would be willing to bet that if Papi had a do-over he would likely include his young Chilean playmaker in the 18 vs. Portland. However, I continue to believe that he squeezes more out of his players than just about anyone else in MLS. Any fan of FC Dallas that wants to move on from Oscar Pareja should be very careful about what they wish for.